Tink’s Day Out

Hi guys–Tinkerbell here today!  

Long-time followers of this blog probably remember the good ol‘ days when I wrote more often.  You know, posted stuff like a Tsum Tsum review or simple photostory. Unfortunately, my ability to give glimpses into our dolly lives kinda got impossible once the house renovations started, especially since most of my friends are still packed away (for their own safety, of course).

However, my human pal may not be able to write as much in the coming months, so she’s given me the go-ahead to entertain y’all with stories of my adventures.  Yippee!!

And this week’s tale is quite a fun one as it involves two of my favorite things: games and shopping!

About two Thursday’s ago, my human (aka Manda) and her family took a trip to a charming town called Fredericksburg.

We were all pretty excited about the excursion.  I even got a new dress to mark the occasion.

Isn’t it gorgeous!  Most of my outfits are green-themed but not this one.  Nope, it’s very colorful!

Not to sound like a narcissistic, but I can’t help noticing how lovely I look.  I kinda wish she’d make me another just like it so that I could have one for special occasions and one for everyday wear.

I’m getting off track, though.  Where were we?  Oh, yes—driving to the cutest Texas town you’ll ever see for some much-needed fun and shopping therapy.

While I was more than ready to hit the boutiques, my human family insisted we eat first.

Eh, I guess they had a point.  After all, a fairy has gotta have the strength to shop?.

So, we stopped off at a restaurant called Gatti’s Pizza for some tasty pizza.

Normally, I’d skip over the boring details surrounding lunch, but this place is more than just a pizzeria.  It has a full-fledged arcade in the back!

I’ve never been to an arcade before.  I know Manda and Sister used to go and play games when they were young, but that was before I arrived.

“What kind of games do they have?  Will I get to see them?  Do we get prizes if we win?”  I peppered my girl with questions while trying to get a better look at the game room.

“The games are great. Yes, you’ll get to see them, and, yes, we will get prizes if we win enough tickets. Now shush before people start thinking I’m a loon who talks to her purse!” she whispered back.

Oops!  I forgot we were in a public place.  So, I settled down and waited for the family to finish their meal.

 

Thankfully, the wait wasn’t too bad.  I even crawled out one point for a quick nibble of a cinnamon breadstick.

 

Although we dolls don’t have to eat to stay alive, we still get hungry sometimes, and one whiff of that cinnamon-sugary goodness was all it took to get my tummy rumbling (I’m a sucker for sweets).

After filling our bellies with pizza and cinnamon sticks, we were ready to play!  Oh boy!!

The Arcade:

Wow, arcades are a lot bigger than I imagined–and louder!  Lights flashed all around me, and every game screamed for me to play it.  Which one should we try first?

Ooo, a claw machine!  Let’s do that one!

Eh, everyone knows these claw machines are rigged.

Hmmm, what else is there?  My eyes landed on a machine with colorful bottles lined up inside.

“Let’s try the ring toss!”

“Okay,” Manda replied.  “But don’t get your hopes up. I tend to be a terrible shot.”

Oy, she wasn’t kidding.  She tossed six rings and didn’t land a single one!  Poor girl must have horrible eyesight or horrible aim–or both!

Mother suggested we try a Jurassic Park themed game.  My peeps love Jurassic Park and didn’t hesitate to crawl inside the jeep-looking booth.

Manda and Sister took turns aiming at the rampaging dinosaurs while I sat back and cheered.

It was hard not to get enthralled in all the action.  The graphics were so realistic!  It felt like we really were on Isla Nublar–but less scary because the dinos couldn’t eat us (thank goodness).

Also, before you start thinking we’re some kind of crazed dinosaur hunters, I’d like to point out that the mission wasn’t to kill the dinosaurs.  The screen made it very clear that we were merely tranquilizing them.

Anyway, we spent the rest of our gaming money fighting raptors, T-Rex, and the dreaded Spinosaurus.  I didn’t mind, though, especially since I got to take a shot at the monsters myself.

The Shops:

Since Fredericksburg is a popular stop here in Texas, Main Street is usually pretty crowded.  However, since we went at an off time, we managed to find a decent parking spot.

Our first stop was a neat store called Dooley’s 5-10 & 25 Cent Store.  This place has everything from kitchenware, to clothing, some sewing supplies, and even discontinued Breyer horses.

Of course, we were on the lookout for unique miniatures.  Did we find any?  You betcha!

Check out these die-cast pencil sharpeners!  They look like miniature versions of old-timey equipment and cars.  How adorable! 

All were super tempting, but, in the end, we brought home only two: a vintage sewing machine and a cash register.

As we were checking out, we spied some itty-bitty glass figures by the register.  There were lots of different animals, like foxes, dogs, seals, and even a unicorn.  Manda bought a bluebird for me.

Our second stop was The Christmas Store.

 

I felt like I’d walked into Christmas heaven!  There were colorful ornaments, Christmas trees with ribbons, and dazzling holiday displays.  I wanted to take pictures of everything!

Unfortunately, the lighting inside wasn’t ideal, and several of the pics didn’t turn out (particularly the ones featuring the gorgeous Christmas trees).  However, we got great pictures of some of the ornaments and displays!

The room to the left had my favorite kind of ornaments–confectionaries and cakes!

There were layer cakes, cupcakes, macaroons, cookies, ice cream, candy canes…you get the idea.  If it was a sweet treat, they had a bauble replicating it.  These ornaments are way too big for my 12-inch friends, but they would’ve been perfect for 18-inch dolls.

A little passed the candy ornaments was a music-themed section with lots of miniature instruments just right for Barbie-sized dolls.

The instruments didn’t interest me since (unlike my princessy pals) I’m not musically inclined.  Rapunzel, however, has been wanting a new guitar for quite a while, so Sister bought the guitar for her (in case you didn’t already know, Rapunzel belongs to Manda’s sister).

Moving on from the ornaments, we have some of the fun displays I mentioned.

I’m fascinated by this retro-style TV with the winter scene inside.  It lights up and plays music!

Then there is my absolute favorite area: Department 56.

The Christmas Store has an enormous selection of Department 56 villages.  There are houses and scenery for every season and occasion.

Seriously, I could spend hours walking around this shop and admiring the brightly lit displays.  I especially like the character-themed villages.

And we can’t forget the Disney and DC comic villages:

What? No Marvel? What nerve!

We visited a few other stores too but didn’t get any pictures because my girl’s energy levels were fading.  It was a blast, though, and we’re planning to go back sometime after Thanksgiving.  I hear the shops on Main Street go all-out decorating for the holidays and am dying to see them! 

Well, friends, I’m afraid that’s the end of today’s adventure.  Hopefully, this story is as much fun to read as it was to share.  If you did enjoy it, let me know by dropping a comment or giving it a like❤️.